It’s on a Thursday afternoon, and you are on your couch thinking on how to watch the next episode of your favorite online TV show since your internet subscription expired. On your device, you decide to take a glance at the available WI-FI networks near you. Surprisingly, there are two networks without a password, and one is having an internet connection. The thought of accessing this free Wi-Fi is exciting and the fact that you don’t have to move from your own house to get it is even euphoric. In this state, you will quickly forget all the risks you are about to be exposed to just to watch your favorite show. Below are reasons why you shouldn’t use your neighbor’s free WI-FI. Let’s start with using somebody’s internet service without consent is referred to as stealing and that’s an illegal act.
恶意
即使您所在地区的互联网套餐很便宜，也不会有人免费提供，除非是在指定的公共场所。因此，在使用邻居的免费 Wi-Fi 之前，请再三考虑，他们很可能忘了设置密码，或者更糟糕的是，这是个陷阱。你可能了解邻居的线下行为和性格，但在网上，你的邻居可能是个网络罪犯。
Setting a fake free Wi-Fi is one of the techniques attackers use to lure their victims. Since they are in charge of the free Wi-Fi, they almost see everything, and they might control some resources such as popular websites through spoofing. Most attackers know individuals will at one point sign into their social media accounts or financial accounts. By intercepting your internet traffic, an attacker can then have your credentials and use them to access your accounts. An attacker can then perform more malicious attacks such as identity fraud and even blackmail you.
零安全
Given the fact that your neighbor has put up a free Wi-Fi connection that anyone can connect to, chances are, he/she doesn’t care much about cybersecurity issues. This also applies to anyone who connects to it. This means you will be taking extra care to maintain your security and chances are the other guys who have connected to it might try to access your info.
更多漏洞
Still, on the zero-security issue, you cannot tell who else is connected to your neighbours free Wi-Fi. It’s like a party, and if there’s no one with malicious intent, there must be someone who might compromise everybody’s security. For instance, your neighbor’s Wi-Fi might be harbouring a malware waiting for activation. It will only take a single person to access the files on the network and accidentally activate the malware. Once activated, the malware can then hop and infect all the devices connected to that Wi-Fi.
低速
Even if we assume that your neighbour’s free Wi-Fi is secure, you will still experience other disadvantages. For instance, you will have to use the speed your neighbor has subscribed to. Even if it’s fast, it won’t be long for other neighbours to discover the free Wi-Fi honeypot. As more devices connect to it, the speed will eventually degrade, and it won’t be worth it anymore.
Similar to free public Wi-Fi, if you have to connect to your neighbor’s Wi-Fi, ensure you are using a VPN. A VPN will encrypt your internet traffic, and this will ensure prying eyes won’t get access to your details. Also, ensure you have an up to date antivirus. Lastly, its illegal to use your neighbor’s Wi-Fi, so don’t.
